Firefox is getting Quick Actions, here is how to enable them

Similar to Chrome, the Firefox browser is getting quick actions that you can perform directly from the URL bar. When you move focus in the address bar and/or start typing some keyword, Firefox will show you buttons to clear cookies, open settings, switch to a tab, and so on.

Perhaps you are already familiar with the Quick Actions idea. It came from Google, which added them to Chrome two years ago. Typing a special "keyword" in the address bar triggers Chrome to clear cookies, open settings, edit saved password, and even update the browser. You can learn more about the available options here.

So Firefox is getting the similar feature. Here some examples.

Also, it shows certain actions without waiting for you to enter anything into the address bar. It is enough to click in the URL text box, and you will see the options like Clear history, Open Downloads, Refresh/Restart the browser, Open Settings, and so on.

As of this writing, the Quick Actions feature is being tested in Firefox "Nightly". Even there, it is hidden behind a special about:config option. You must activate it manually before you can start using it. Again, ensure you are running Nightly. See how to run different Firefox versions simultaneously. Now, do the following.

Enable Quick Actions in Firefox

1. Open a new tab, and type about:config, then hit Enter.
2. Confirm that you accept the risk to open Advanced Preferences.
3. Copy the browser.urlbar.quickactions.enabled text and paste it in the search box on the Advanced Preferences page.
4. Now, click the "plus" icon to create a new value of the boolean type and set it to true.
5. Repeat the same for the browser.urlbar.shortcuts.quickactions value, i.e. create it if it doesn't exist and set it to true.
6. Restart Firefox.

You are done. Now you use Quick Actions in Firefox the way you used to do the same in Google Chrome.

Obviously, it will take Mozilla some time to push the change to the stable release of the browser. As in case of experimental features, Quick Actions can be scrapped from the code base if Mozilla receives negative feedback, or find the users not welcoming the change. But there is a high chance that the feature will see the green light, just because Chrome has the same.

While some of the users will definitely find Quick Actions useful and time saving, others may consider them annoying. For the latter group, it could be great to have an option to disable the feature.

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